The present invention relates to a sample handling system, and in particular, it relates to a sample handling system suitable for automatically carrying out sample testing in clinic laboratories.
A normal sample handling system is comprised of various types of handling units such as a centrifuge, cap-opener, aliquoter, bar code labeler, cap restoppler, sorter, analyzer units, a built-in rack conveyer provided in each handling unit, and a transportation line which connects these handling units, with series connection between a handling unit and another handling unit, between the transportation line and the handling unit, or between a transportation line and another transportation line.
"Hitachi Review, vol.41, No.4, pp.167-172 (1992)" discloses an automatic sample handling system in which the transportation line for transporting samples is comprised of plural transportation routes whereby the transportation line can be diverged into plural branch lines thereby allowing the samples to be distributed to various handling units.
Sample handling units disposed within this system include: an automated centrifuge unit which separates blood sample into serum and cells; a cap opener unit which automatically removes caps from sample containers; an aliquoter unit which aliquotes serum from mother sample containers to daughter sample containers; a bar code labeler unit which labels a bar code label having the same sample ID as the mother sample on the daughter sample container; a restopper unit which restops the sample containers with a cap; a sample sorting unit which sorts out the sample containers into groups of testing; a chemical analyzer unit which automatically analyzes samples chemically, and so on.
Another prior art analyzer system is also known which is provided with a plurality of analyzing modules and has an arrangement to allow samples to stop over at the plurality of analyzing modules by transporting the samples by its transportation line.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,423 discloses an arrangement wherein a plurality of analyzing routes are provided corresponding to a plurality of analyzing modules respectively, and a bypass route is provided for sample containers to bypass some of the plurality of analyzing routes. In this example, while a certain sample container which contains a sample to be analyzed is selectively guided to a proper analyzing route, a sample container which contains another sample which does not need to be analyzed is selectively guided to the bypass route. Thereby, each sample is ensured to call only at a proper analyzing module whereby each sample needs to be analyzed.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,488 discloses an arrangement in which a sampling feeder having a sampling line and a rack recovery line is disposed corresponding to each analyzer, and a coupling feeder is disposed between respective sampling feeders. Then, a unit combination which is formed by combining the sampling feeder, the coupling feeder and each analyzer is connected with each other to form a plurality of such combination thereby enabling to increase the capability of its analyzing functions.
According to the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,423, a sample which does not need analysis by a particular analyzing module in the system is caused to stop over at another analyzing module by detouring past the particular analyzing module. However, U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,423 does not teach nor suggest how to operate the system in case of a failure of a part of the plurality of analyzing modules within the system, or in the case of maintenance work being necessitated on a part of the plurality of analyzing modules.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,188 which discloses a large scaled system which is facilitated by integrating plural combination units each including a sampling feeder, coupling feeder and analyzer, however, the patent does not teach nor suggest how to operate the system in case of a failure or stoppage of a part of the plural analyzers in the system, or in the case of maintenance of the system.